Throughout the semester, SU students will analyze examples from the Star Trek series and films, relating them to real world topics such as information security, privacy, ownership of information, social media, mobile devices, nanotechnology, remote warfare, biotechnology and more.

Registration immediately filled up the first day it was open, and more class space had to be added.

"Star Trek and the Information Age" also provides a unique experience in which both students and non-students can participate in the discussion via blog posts, comments and Twitter. Modeled after the Borg, this public forum is known as "The Collective."

In an interview, Rotolo answered questions about the new class, his favorite Star Trek characters, and what Google and Facebook have in common with a futuristic race of cybernetic organisms:

According to ABC News, you got the idea for teaching a class on Star Trek when you made a Captain Picard reference during a Twitter chat. Is that true?

In a way, yes. I had always thought that Star Trek was a great teaching tool, and I've been known to use Trek examples to make a point. When I was participating in the Twitter chat about Generation Y career issues, I referenced Captain Picard's willingness to give teenage Wesley Crusher some real responsibility, which I thought addressed the frustrations the young professionals were having with their more reluctant superiors. The comment was very well received within the chat and by many of my Twitter followers who began encouraging me to teach a course on Star Trek. I was aware that courses had been taught in other disciplines, like philosophy and physics, and the idea of teaching a Star Trek class dealing with the issues we face as professionals and citizens in the Information Age was very interesting.

What is the Information Age, and how does Star Trek relate to it?

"Information Age" is a term used to describe the era we currently live in. It refers to the ability of individuals to access and transfer information instantly, leading to new careers, products, industries and an economy based on information.

Star Trek, like most science fiction, is really more about today than the future. Its stories may include alien races and futuristic technologies, but these are often techniques for highlighting concepts directly related to our world.

Are you a Trekkie (or a Trekker)? Which movie or TV series is your favorite?

Both. I don't distinguish between the terms (although, I realize to some they are different). There was a time when being a "Trekkie" was uncool, but in the Information Age, geek is cool. This is an era defined by innovations like Facebook and Twitter, and by tech companies like Apple and Microsoft that create revolutionary technologies. The people behind these inventions are geeks, and a lot of them are Star Trek fans. That's definitely cool.

If I had to choose a favorite series it would be "The Next Generation." But I'm really a fan of them all (except maybe the 2001 prequel series, "Enterprise"... that had some issues).

What sort of topics will class discussions cover? Will non-Star Trek fans have trouble understanding?

Students do not need to be familiar with Star Trek to enjoy the class, but I can't guarantee they won't be Trek fans when the semester is over. I will be providing all the necessary background information, but most of the concepts we'll be discussing should be very familiar.

Some of the topics we'll cover include careers of the Information Age, retraining a workforce for an information economy, how technologies become outmoded and replaced, dealing with an "always on" connected lifestyle, social networking, smart gird technology, nanotechnology and biotechnology, and, of course how our modern tech compares to the systems on the Enterprise.

A few Trek-specific examples...

- We will examine how social networks like Twitter and Facebook, and search engines like Google, relate to the Borg, a dangerous alien race that shares a collective "hive mind" consciousness.

- After a traumatic encounter with the Borg, Captain Picard chooses to visit his family vineyard in France and seriously considers disconnecting from his technological life as a Starfleet captain. We will consider whether 21st century workers require time to be unplugged, and strategies for handling a connected lifestyle.

- In an episode of "Star Trek: The Original Series," Captain Kirk and crew discover a planet with a society that has automated warfare. Casualties have become routine and largely ignored. This episode will be used to launch our discussion of today's remote systems, including unmanned drones currently in use today.

Can non-students get involved with the discussion?

Yes, absolutely. Students will be encouraged to use Twitter during class, and I will be tweeting as well. Anyone not in the class will be able to follow along using the course hashtag #TrekClass -- and all are welcome to join the discussion.

What is "The Collective" and how does it work?

The Collective is a collaborative blog where students will post reactions, comments and additional information about the episodes and topics discussed in class. The blog is inspired by the Borg, which is an alien race that shares a collective consciousness allowing them to exchange information instantly and across great distances. Non-students are also welcome to comment and post to The Collective at www.trekclass.com.

Syracuse University assistant professor Anthony Rotolo

If you could bring any Star Trek character in your class to guest-lecture, who would it be and why?

Character or actor?

If I could bring any cast member to guest lecture, I would choose William Shatner (Captain Kirk) or Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), of course, since they both defined the role of the captain.

If I could have any Star Trek character guest lecture, the captains would be great, of course. Spock or Data would also be fascinating... but we may not have enough class time for a lecture by either.

What do you hope students will walk away with after taking your class?

I hope students will leave the class with a better understanding of the world and workforce they are preparing to enter, as well as how Information Science and related fields contribute to the process of building the future we will all inherit.

Anthony Rotolo is an Assistant Professor of Practice at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies (iSchool). Follow him on Twitter at @rotolo.